


Prelude

by madesimplefic



Category: Schitt’s Creek
Genre: David gets a case of the feelings, Episode Tag, Fluff, M/M, lots of makeouts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 05:45:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19245019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madesimplefic/pseuds/madesimplefic
Summary: “Patriiiiick.” David dragged out the last syllable, watching as the other man put the box on the ground before plucking a brand new container out.  “Can you apply the serum?” Patrick’s eyebrows raise and David turned on his most effectively charming smile.  “Please?”Patrick ducked his head and returned the grin; he shifted so that he’s standing between David’s legs, spinning the top of the jar open.  “Well.  Only because you asked so nicely.”





	Prelude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Still_Not_King](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Still_Not_King/gifts).



> Prompt: Pretty open. Let’s go with an episode coda, your choice of Episode?
> 
> Episode 4x02 - Pregnancy Test it is then!

The thing about privacy in Schitt’s Creek is that there isn’t any. 

It would be almost funny if David wasn’t so annoyed by it. Like, maybe if he squinted hard enough he could find the irony in living in a motel and not finding a single room desirable enough to take Patrick to. His room was out because of Alexis and twin sized beds, but mostly because his parents couldn’t resist a dramatic entrance, ever. 

The Honeymoon suite was a no go; David didn’t think he could willingly submit himself or Patrick to a ceiling mirror, but he also thought of how obnoxiously long Stevie would laugh at him if he tried to book it. And even though only one guy died in one room, David felt safe in collectively referring to the other eight rooms as Room 4.

So they try in Patrick’s car, coming back from Elmdale. The heat of the day had finally broken, but it was warm enough to drive the mostly empty two-lane highway with the windows rolled down. They’d taken the afternoon off from the store so David could introduce Patrick to some vendors. The last stop was at this adorable dairy farm that sold homemade ice cream and honestly, it would’ve been rude not to try a sample or three.

“No way,” Patrick said with a mouthful of pistachio ice cream before swallowing as he shook his head. “You’re wrong on this.”

“Are you even hearing yourself?” David asked incredulously, taking a spoonful of his own from the cup. “Are you hearing your terrible dessert choices?”

“A brownie from the middle of the pan is the best one!”

“I respectfully disagree.” 

“You are disagreeing with per _fec_ tion,” Patrick continued, using his hand to emphasize the point. “Warm, gooey, chocolatey perfection.”

“Yes, a brownie should be all of those things,” David agreed. He gave Patrick the last spoonful, who took it happily as he kept his eyes on the road. “But you need that crunch of the crusted edge to balance it out. The middle is too overpowering, too much of a good thing.”

They slowed to a stop sign and David took away the spoon; he threw the cup away in the little trash bag Patrick kept hanging off his glove compartment. He looked up to see a bit of ice cream still in the corner of Patrick’s lips and without a thought reached over with his thumb, wiping away. It felt normal and then weirdly intimate when Patrick looked over at him, returning the grin as the tops of his ears flushed pink.

“You had a little…” David started, waving his hand around his mouth. “Schmutz.”

“Schmutz?” Patrick’s doing that thing that David has started recognizing, where he parrots back something David has said that Patrick finds cute or sarcastic, and. It should not be so endearing, but David is goddamned endeared.

“Mmhmm.” David grinned in response and he puts the tip of his thumb between his lips, tasting the melted ice cream. Patrick stared at his mouth for a moment and then it was broken when a car behind them laid on the horn.

At the next fork in the road, Patrick went left instead of right and headed down a dirt road to an open field where he parked in the grass. The sun was setting behind a barn in the distance and it bathed everything in the warm, golden glow of late afternoon. David shifted and turned to look at Patrick, saw the sunlight pull out threads of reddish-auburn hair and bit the corner of his bottom lip.

“I don’t know that there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing, but...” Patrick said and David caught it, the quick glance of Patrick looking down at his lips again and oh. _Oh_. “Agree to disagree.” 

“Mmm. For now,” David replied, but there wasn’t any heat to it. He’s being contrarian mostly out of habit.

Patrick, to his credit, ignored it and chuckled instead. “Come here.”

They met halfway, the center console separating them and David leaned on it for support. Patrick’s lips aren’t really that cold, but they’re still sticky sweet and he runs his tongue over Patrick’s lips, savoring as he hums into it. He feels the shape of a smile against his lips and David wants to bottle this feeling, drink it in and float in the fuzzy, sparkling joy of it all.

Patrick stopped kissing him and pulled his lips away and David stopped the whine that threatens to come out. He’s too close to be able to make out the look on Patrick’s face, but David feels Patrick’s breath on his bottom lip and he wondered what the hold up was.

“I think you’re...vibrating?”

David reared his head back a little further, twin confusion in both of their eyes. “Excuse me?”

Patrick moved his hand from David’s waistband into his back pocket and pulled out David’s phone, glowing with two missed calls and 14 text notifications.

David sighed dramatically and took the phone, swiping the screen to answer a new incoming call. “ _What_.”

“I need your help, David! What dress should I wear? The black Marc Jacobs with the like fringy thing or-“

He pressed End and dropped the phone in the cup holder, letting his forehead rest on Patrick’s as their breathing becomes syncopated.

“You know she’s just going to call back,” Patrick said quietly and sure enough, the screen lit up brightly. Alexis’ picture with her toothy smile and peace sign fingers mocking both of them. David rolled his eyes and answered the phone, giving Patrick a pathetic look as he settled back in his seat and starts the car up again.

The conversation with Alexis managed to take up the rest of the drive back to Schitt’s Creek. It’s mostly just Alexis talking as she vents to him about nothing and everything; Ted this, Heather that, and _oh Ted made the cutest pun about a parakeet the other day_ , did David want to hear? 

“Not really.”

“Frankie, that’s the bird’s name, Frankie stayed overnight and after Ted checked on him, he goes, ‘We can’t _para-keep_ you any longer!’”

David groaned. They’re at a stop light and Patrick turned to face him, questioning look on his face.

“Ted puns,” David whispered and Patrick smirked in response. David wanted to take that smile, gather it with his own lips and add it to their growing collection. He settled for putting his hand on Patrick’s thigh instead, rubbing his thumb against the denim as Alexis babbled on.

—

It was dark by the time they reached Ray’s with stars just peeking out. There was a promise of dinner and Ray being at poker night, so David was more than a little anxious to get the night started.

“David,” Patrick breathed out, his hands stilling. Patrick was trying to get his key in the front door lock and David was behind him, head buried in his neck with Patrick’s earlobe between his teeth.

“Hmm?” David smiled when Patrick laughed at the way the word fluttered against his skin.

“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

David kissed the spot behind the shell of his ear and stayed close. “You might say I’m going to make it ha- ahhhh!”

Patrick had managed to fit the key in the lock, but the keychain made a loud clanging noise against the door as it swung open with Ray on the other side. Light from the inside illuminated around him, vivid smile reaching to his eyes. David jumped back, startled.

“Patrick! And David Rose!” Ray greeted them warmly, ushering them in. “Come in, come in!”

“Ray, what are you uh, doing home? I thought tonight was poker night.” There was a slight edge in Patrick’s voice that David caught as they walked into the house, but he couldn’t tell if Ray ignored it or was oblivious.

“It is; or was, rather,” Ray confirmed. “Gwen came down with a nasty bout of food poisoning. Poor thing is reenacting The Exorcist, according to Bob. We rescheduled for next week.”

“Oh, that’s...too bad,” Patrick finished lamely, crossing his arms over his chest. David’s eyebrows rose and he caught Patrick’s eyes, who looked down with a helpless look on his face.

“I was just about to order in some dinner,” Ray barreled on, turning on his heel as he made his way toward the kitchen. He called out over his shoulder. “Did you boys care to join?”

David shook his head quickly as Patrick called out, “No thanks! We’re gonna head upstairs. Enjoy your dinner!”

“Go, go, go,” David whispered hurriedly, following Patrick as they both stifled laughs.

When they made it to Patrick’s room, David followed him in. Through some kind of ninja maneuver, David can’t see exactly what happened because the lights were off, Patrick crowded up into him; David’s back was against the door as it clicked shut and their mouths are together and yes, finally, yes.

“Is there a lock on this door?” David asked when they took a second to breathe. He used his hand to grope for the doorknob and was met with brass smoothness where the dial should have been.

“No,” Patrick confirmed for him warmly against the line of his jaw. “We’ll be fine.”

David closed his eyes, let Patrick’s finger trace the line of his dimple. “No, I know. But like...it’s Ray. And Alexis already interrupted us, so…”

“Up,” Patrick instructed and David’s sweater is being pulled away, over his head. He’s not sure where it goes, but Patrick is leading him by the belt loops at his waist and then they’re on the bed and when did Patrick’s unbutton his shirt?

“I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Patrick was saying as they orient themselves on the mattress, facing each other with Patrick’s back to the door. “He’s got food coming, he’ll be eating dinner soon. Ray’s a fan of dinner.”

“Well, who isn’t,” David asked rhetorically. “But I have to say, if Ray comes up and interrupts us, you owe me five bucks.”

“Okay, David.”

His tone was placating, a lilt of teasing, but David doesn’t really care. Patrick ran his hand lightly down David’s side, letting it stop at his hip. He gave it a solid squeeze and kissed David’s forehead, the tip of his nose, and then landing on David’s mouth once again.

David lets himself get distracted again by Patrick’s kiss, all open and dirty with a little bit of teeth the way David likes and a swipe of tongue the way Patrick likes. It’s really only been a few weeks of this getting to know each other and David has trouble remembering a time where he didn’t know Patrick’s taste or the way he liked to be scratched at the small of his back, the way David is absentmindedly doing right now. He thinks about all these things he knows, all these private, intimate details that are slowly becoming more a part of their relationship. David’s previous relationships had all been so open and performative, like he was going through the motions without any of the benefits of truly learning about the other person. Patrick was the first to open him up, tiny cracks spidering through his walls, and it was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

They’ve been going slow up to this point; Patrick hooks a jean-clad leg around the crook of David’s knee and he goes with it, pushing Patrick flat on his back so that he can climb up and straddle him. Patrick responded happily, meeting David beat for beat as his hands move from David’s hips to grab at the curve of his ass and it’s like they’re picking up where they left off. David rewarded him by grinding forward where everything is all lined up and he loved it, loved the sound that Patrick made low in his chest.

“Patrick, David, I picked up pizza and _oh my word_!”

David shrieked as Patrick’s head came up too fast, bonking with David’s forehead. He rolled over to get out of the compromising position and overshot it, landing next to Patrick’s bed on the floor and barely missed the nightstand.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” David mumbled and winced as he pulled a shoe out from underneath him. It wasn’t his; it looked reminiscent of his old t-ball shoes, but bigger and dirtier than David’s ever got. He looked up over the bed to see Patrick at the door, talking in low tones to Ray before he shut the door. The light switched on and David winced at the sudden brightness, but saw Patrick coming toward him, bewildered look on his face.

“David, are you okay?”

He gave Patrick a disgruntled look, but took the hand that was offered and hauled himself up back onto the bed. They settled in, laying side by side as they both stared up at the ceiling as the mood around them became sufficiently killed. David turned his head after a moment.

“You owe me ten bucks.”

“I thought it was five?”

“I fell off the bed!”

Patrick laughed, looked at David’s irritated expression and laughed harder until even David couldn’t keep a smile off his face. Patrick twisted to his side, kissed David’s shoulder twice before kissing his mouth, sweet and slow.

“Come on,” Patrick said, rolling elegantly off of his side of the bed. “Ray bought enough pizza for us to share and said we could have some.” He tossed David his sweater and grabbed a white t-shirt from the hamper, pulling it over his head.

“We’re just gonna let Ray win?”

Patrick paused. “There may be some breadsticks involved, if we play our cards right.”

David stood up from the bed as he pulled his sweater on. “I don’t think we give Ray enough credit for playing dirty.”

Patrick lightly slapped David’s butt as they leave the room, clambering down the stairs.

—

Alexis is pregnant and it’s going to ruin David’s life. He says as much as he bursts into the store that day, breaking the calm of Patrick folding alpaca sweaters on the back table.

“Alexis is pregnant?” Patrick asked incredulously as David tossed his bag behind the register before meeting him in the back. Patrick gives David a warm smile, but it vanishes and is replaced with knitted brows when David glares. “Are congratulations...not in order?”

“No. Congratulations are not ‘in order’,” David responds childishly, crouching down to look at their stock on the bottom shelf.

“What are you looking for?”

“The new eucalyptus eye serum that came in yesterday.” David looked up at Patrick, who is hovering above him. “I need to get ahead of the luggage that’s going to be forming under my eyes. You know, from the incessant crying of a newborn.”

“I put that in back; I’ll go grab it.”

When Patrick returned, David was sitting on top of the table, legs dangling as he gives Patrick a petulant look.

“Patriiiiick.” David dragged out the last syllable, watching as the other man put the box on the ground before plucking a brand new container out. “Can you apply the serum?” Patrick’s eyebrows raise and David turned on his most effectively charming smile. “Please?”

Patrick ducked his head and returned the grin; he shifted so that he’s standing between David’s legs, spinning the top of the jar open. “Well. Only because you asked so nicely.”

“I always ask so nicely,” David murmured, looking up at the ceiling and relishing the feel of the cool serum under his left eye. Patrick’s thumb is so gentle, softly gliding on the skin and David let out a sigh; partly relief and partly because Patrick should really be using his ring finger for eye serum application. David briefly flashed on the idea of eventually getting Patrick into a proper skin care routine and it was oddly soothing.

“Ok, I just think I’m in a state of shock right now, you know?” David conceded, feeling the need to justify his frustration. He looked away from the ceiling and directly at Patrick, who looked adorable in his concentration as the pad of his thumb worked under the right eye. “The news is very numbing and I’m feeling very alone.” He smiled as Patrick’s face got closer and the kiss they share is all too brief. It all seemed too brief, lately.

“Imagine how Alexis must feel,” Patrick pointed out. Always the devil’s advocate when David is spinning. 

David shook his head. “Yeah, I haven’t spoken to her.” Not a conversation he’s actually dying to have.

“Huh,” Patrick said, looking at the jar in his hand. “Remind me what this is again?”

“That is a eucalyptus under eye serum.” They’re close and David is rewarded with another kiss. He felt magnetized, the feeling thrumming pleasantly through his skin.

“And remind me why you can’t apply it to yourself?” Patrick asked and he’s all earnest and up in David’s space; it’s intoxicating. David can smell the spicy sweet mix of Patrick’s aftershave along with the lotion David convinced him to test out for the store. It’s a good combo; he gives it a month tops before Patrick is applying the eye serum to his own under eyes. The smell reminded him of Patrick’s pillow from the other night and he can’t think about that right now, not without thinking of what he wanted to do before the interruption.

“Because it requires a steady hand and I’m going through a lot right now.” A perfectly logical explanation, one that has Patrick’s mouth giving him a half smile that David returned.

“Right,” Patrick whispered knowingly, leaning in for another soft kiss. David knew he’s just humoring him, but he’s kind of past the point of caring either way. 

The perfect moment is busted by the bell above the door and David watched as Patrick morphed into professional business guy, putting his hands on his hips and stepping back as a woman walks into the store, seemingly oblivious to the mood she broke.

“Hi, I was looking for some -“

“We don’t sell that,” David cuts her off, clearing his throat in a way that he hopes conveys, turn around and leave. Look, Monday through Thursday, he’s all business and about 83% focused on the store. But it is Friday, a slow one at that. Does no one have any respect for the makeouts he’s trying to engage in?

“-bath salts?” She continued, not taking the hint. Her eyes pinged toward Patrick, which David thinks is wise.

“We actually do sell those. On the middle shelf, over there,” Patrick pointed, helpful as ever. David grimaced and rubbed his hands toward his knees, knowing their moments are going to be put on pause. Again. “I’ll just be over to help you in a second.” Patrick turned to face him, hands in both pockets and David takes slight pleasure in the fact that the look in his eyes seem to reflect the same annoyance he feels.

“Okay, between Alexis getting knocked up, and us not getting enough privacy,” David starts, moving his hands to indicate the both of them. “To _connect_ , I’m feeling very shaken.”

Patrick leaned in, bracing his hands on David’s legs with a serious look on his face. His voice dropped to a mock whisper. “Do you think you’re gonna make it?”

“Unclear. Unclear whether I’m going to make it through or not,” David quietly responds, playing along and unable to hide his smile. Despite the tension he feels in his neck, a bubble of happiness floats up near his heart and he relaxes for the briefest of moments as Patrick leans in.

“Hang in there,” Patrick whispered, squeezing David’s thigh before turning on his heel to go help the customer. David closed his eyes, savoring the moment, and an idea begins to form.

—

David looked up from the magazine he was flipping through later that day to see Patrick walking through the front door, Cafe Tropical carry out bag in his hand holding their lunches.

“Hey,” David greeted him, accepting the kiss on his cheek. “Why don’t you go put those in the fridge real quick and come help me with something in back?”

“Help you with what?”

“I was going over some inventory and I think maybe the numbers might be off or something? Just thought I would save this fun little project for you.” His concern flashed to a winning grin and he watched as Patrick agreed, walking to the back of the store where the fridge is. David then busied himself with going into the back storage room behind the register, the curtain flapping behind him.

When Patrick pulled back the curtain, David pounced and used his momentum to pull Patrick into a searing kiss, his hands grabbing at Patrick’s face before falling to the curve of his neck. He steered them toward the wall and moved his hands to Patrick’s hips when they meet brick, as if to steady them both. David’s got an inch or two on him, but when he rolled his hips, everything lines up in a moment of bliss that he thinks they’ve been working toward all day. 

David pulled away first, but kept their faces close; the metal of this thumb ring against warm skin. “I’m sorry, you were saying something?”

“I said,” Patrick started, trying to gain control over his breathing. David noticed and lets himself look at least a little smug about it. “Let’s take a look at these numbers. I’m beginning to think the inventory is fine though.”

“God, you’re smart.”

“You know what’s not smart? Is this, right here. Customers are going to walk in at any minute.”

“ _Or_. Or. It’s Friday afternoon and we’ve had 3 customers all day,” David pointed out, moving so that he could gently bite at Patrick’s earlobe. Patrick didn’t respond, but he didn’t not respond either; his hands are still on David’s hips and David can sense the tension leaving Patrick’s shoulders. He kissed the freckle under Patrick’s ear, moved further down his neck to keep kissing and smiles when he hears a quiet sigh.

“David. Come on,” Patrick says softly, but doesn’t sound entirely convincing. David’s hands are busy undoing Patrick’s belt buckle, but he stopped and pulled away from his neck to look the other man in the eye. Not before noticing the light hickey that’s starting to form there. _Shit_.

“I’ll stop. If you really want,” David replies seriously, making eye contact before letting his gaze fall down to where Patrick’s pants are tenting. “Do you?”

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean...” Patrick is so adorably flustered and David has to bite the inside of his cheek, letting his patience win out. But then Patrick blessedly gives him a small smile and he feels a flutter. “Yes, let’s keep going.”

“Oh, we’ll keep going,” David informed him seriously. “We could keep going, ideally, all afternoon. Or until a customer comes in, five minutes from now, an hour from now - who knows?”

“You’re loving this, aren’t you? Getting me all riled up?” Patrick moved his arms from where they were holding David at the small of his back down so that he puts his hands in back jean pockets. He squeezes and David’s mouth quirked so he’s smiling to the side and he leaned in again, hot breath in Patrick’s ear. 

“Here’s the thing - I think you’re loving this too.”

There was a frantic feeling here, where a switch was flipped and Patrick was keeping up with him, soft moans punctuated in the silence. David grinned as Patrick honest to god whimpered when he pulled away and sank to his knees. They have done this a few times before, but never in the store. It was the only place that felt truly theirs and David was tired of fighting against their current run of bad luck. Maybe if he took matters into his own hands, so to speak, he could change it around for them.

David pulled down the jeans, the belt clanging open against the zipper, and he nuzzled against the length of Patrick. He took his hands and slid them up the front of his thighs, squeezed them the way Patrick did earlier to him, and tongued him through the gray fabric. He smiled when he heard the hiss of breath above him and took it as his cue to keep going.

“ _David_.” 

Patrick let the name stretch out of his mouth, let it hang in the air, as David eased him out of his underwear and wrapped his hand around him, strong and sure. He leaned over to suck the head like he had been before, the taste of precum stronger on his tongue and he sighed into it. Patrick’s hand slid down around the curve of the back of his head and David took the hint. He took more of Patrick in, hollowing out his mouth and sucking greedily. Patrick’s hips are bucking forward little by little and David wishes he would just let loose and go for it, but maybe it was ok to go one step at a time. Maybe being blown in the stockroom was the leap they would take today and David looked up at Patrick under heavy eyelashes and couldn’t wait for the future leaps they would take together. 

The thought was interrupted when Patrick grabbed a fistful of his dark hair at the back of David’s head, pulling just how he liked it. David groaned and that was it for Patrick. He’s gone and David swallowed him clean before pulling off, laying his head against Patrick’s thigh while listening to the other man’s breathing.

A few moments pass and David stood up, adjusting his own uncomfortable pants situation and leaned forward to kiss Patrick’s temple. He placed his hands on Patrick’s shoulders and held steady while Patrick looked up at him, still a little dazed.

“Wow.”

They both hear it at the same time - the bell in the store and they froze, David’s face in panic as Patrick’s eyes widen in their own right. There was nothing and then;

“ _Ding, ding_!”

“Oh, I am going to _kill_ her,” David hissed and doesn’t wait for Patrick to answer, just immediately crosses to the curtain and faces a curious Stevie as he adjusted and picked nonchalantly at his sweater.

—

Stevie was gone and so are the two customers that come in after her. The store was quiet; David’s sweeping around a table and Patrick was doing his mid-afternoon count of the register. There’s silence and then - 

“So. Wanna go..fix that ‘light bulb’ in the back?”

“What light bulb in the back?” Patrick asked distractedly, looking up as he closed the register with a satisfying click. He stifles a laugh as he sees the pained look on David’s face while gesturing toward his black jeans.

“You know. The ‘light bulb’ we were fixing before Stevie...so rudely interrupted,” David spelled out as Patrick crossed the store to hear him better. Another customer walked in and Patrick acknowledged her and held his finger up to indicate he would be over in just a moment.

“I think,” Patrick said quietly, placing a hand on David’s bicep. “That we should fix the ‘light bulb’ at Stevie’s place. Tonight.” He nodded his head toward the customer that was browsing the candle section and David sighed.

“Fine.” David hands him the broom. “I have to...go fix the ‘light bulb’ in the bathroom then.”

“There are no broken -“ Patrick started and when David turned to glare at him, the double meaning crashed down on him. He nodded. “Ah, understood.”

David flounced toward the bathroom and Patrick smiled to himself before turning to go help the customer at the front of the store.

-fin-

**Author's Note:**

> Big, huge, grateful thanks to cashewdani and second_hand_feels for their beta work/feedback on early versions of this fic. Your support and encouragement are truly appreciated and I feel like you both need to be celebrated.
> 
> For Still_Not_King, thank you for your prompts :) This was a blast and I hope you enjoy reading it!


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